How good is Jayson Tatum? It’s a question that I ask myself pretty much every single time the Celtics are on. Sometimes I feel hopeful and feel like he can be this team’s version of Paul Pierce. Other days I feel pessimistic and see flashes of washed up Carmelo. As time goes on this season, we’re getting a better and better understanding of what Tatum is. There are no more questions. Jayson Tatum has taken the leap. He’s on the path towards stardom.
The more time goes on, Tatum continues to get better and better. The former Duke product ranks 2nd in real plus minus in the Eastern Conference behind just Giannis Antetokounmpo. Every single month, Tatum keeps getting better. Compare his 37.3 shooting percentage to 48.2 in February. In February he’s shooting 46.8 percent from 3 and averaging 28.3 points per game.
Tatum has started to take over games. He’s established himself as the best player on the floor on a lot of nights. 39 points against the Clippers and dropping the hammer. 33 against the Pelicans and 25 against the Sixers. There are no more flashes. Tatum has arrived. The leap is here.
The improvement with Tatum goes beyond the numbers. Last year he took a lot of dumb shots. Fadeaway mid-range while completely blanketed by defenders. Not anymore. This year Tatum is converting catch and shoot 3’s and becoming creative with drives to the basket. Those things didn’t happen last year.
The Celtics can win a championship because Tatum has the ability to be the best player on the floor. Boston hasn’t had that in a long time. I’m not sure they even had it in 2008. Outside of Giannis, when Tatum gets hot, there are not too many players who can just take over games by themself while doing it at an efficient rate. Add in Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics have the pieces to get the job done.
